- Three out of every four enlisted candidates will fail their 48-week quest for the coveted Special Forces tab.
But help is on the way - for $19.95.
"Get Selected for Special Forces: How to Successfully Complete Assessment & Selection" is packed with tips, advice and training plans for those hoping to join the elite SF ranks. The book was written by Maj. Joe Martin, an SF officer with 1st Special Warfare Training Groups (Airborne), and fellow SF soldier Master Sgt. Rex Dodson.
Proceeds from the book go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides scholarships and educational counseling to the children of special operations personnel killed in the line of duty.
The book, published in April 2005, so far has raised about $30,000 for the foundation. Martin hopes to bring the tally to $100,000 -- the equivalent of five scholarships -- by December 2009.
"It was the right thing to do", Martin said. "It's a way to give back to the community."
Martin got the idea for "Get Selected" after his commander at the time asked him to run a course that would better prepare SF candidates for the grueling training pipeline.
"Army field manuals are a little bit dry ... so we wanted to do something people would read, and we wanted to endorse products that were good because we'd used them," Martin said.
The book, which is a quick read, is available through the Warrior Foundation's Web site, www.specialops.org, and in military stores, he said.
About 7,000 books are in print, and a third printing of about 4,000 copies is scheduled, Martin said.
"This'll help point you in the right direction," he said about the book. It's "sharing lessons learned."
Martin hopes to eventually raise $1 million for the foundation. "But that would be a couple books down the road," he said with a smile. -- Michelle Tan